In data archival and/or backup environments, there is often a need to store data objects such as files within an archival/backup system. Storing such data objects in such systems often uses single instancing to attempt to prevent multiple copies of the same data object being stored in the archival/backup environment.
In data archival and/or backup environments, there is often a need to store many data objects such within an archival/backup system. As the total stored volume increases, the performance within the archival/backup system can decrease markedly.
In some data archival and/or backup systems, such as conventional content addressable storage systems, the data stored at each storage node becomes a burden on the system in that searching through the records stored at the nodes in response to a query can take a very long time. In systems designed to store tens of millions of data files per storage node, the speed of searching and data access can be a critical part of overall system performance, but many conventional systems simply fail to provide the necessary performance.
The present invention has been made, at least in part, in consideration of drawbacks and limitations of such conventional systems.